All financial institutions will need to hire a Social Media Marketing Manager soon, if they haven’t already. To survive today’s rapid technological advances and the increased demand for human connections via social media channels, there simply isn’t any other option.
But before adding these new roles to your team, there are a few things that you should know. After hiring these types of people for many years, I’ve found there are types of candidates that you’ll want… and others you’ll want to avoid. I’ve also provided four tips for making the most out of your new digital marketing role(s).
Five Candidate Types to Embrace (or Avoid)
Dreamers. The Dreamer may be the proud owner of multiple popular accounts on social media networking platforms. A typical Dreamer thinks it would be fun doing something with social media for a living. “I’m good at Facebook. Wouldn’t it be awesome if I could sit around all day getting paid for this?” Dreamers may seem highly-confident and interview very well. If you ask a Dreamer why they applied for the job, they may be passionate and persuasive as they try to convince you that they are indeed qualified for the job. But be extra careful. Dreamers with large numbers of friends are often horrible candidates a position as a Social Media Manager. Dreamers may have a basic understanding of social media and superficial “success,” but they don’t really know how to have real relationships with people in social channels. Despite having many “friends” on these platforms, in most cases they don’t interact with them. These social connections are strictly there for their face value — it’s a sheer numbers game. This does not qualify a candidate for a social media job.
Feelers. Feelers are powerful writers, whipping out emotional copy and punchy prose. Because of their way with words, they’re capable of giving your brand a softer edge. A Feeler could make a wonderful social media marketing manager, but they may lack the strategic expertise to set the direction and develop a game plan because they often lack focus and need more direct guidance.
( Read More: Why Social Media Is A Fulltime Job )
The Doer. The Doer is an expert at multi-tasking and leveraging multiple forms of digital media. They can understand the uses, limits and specifications of popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google Plus, etc. While a Doer can be capable of generating digital content appropriate for various social media channels, some lack writing skills. Management is more their forte, which is why many financial institutions like hiring Doers; they work well under pressure, are often practical and down-to-earth, and work independently with little direct supervision. At least you can count on Doers to get the job done. But you may need to pair them with a Feeler or outside consultant to build an effective social media presence that inspires audiences and keeps them engaged.
The Analyzer. The Analyzer completely and thoroughly loves and enjoys numbers, data and metrics. In fact, they may frequently over-analyze information. The Analyzer loves Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, and any other tool that allows them to parse the tsunami of data streaming from social media platforms. They can explain important data facts that you never dreamed you needed to know. They can provide you with reams of reports, establish benchmarks, and track results. This could come in handy when it’s time to calculate the ROI of your social media efforts and explain to your management team what you’ve been up to. However, Analyzers might not be capable of actually delivering results without any help. Analyzers are good with numbers, but not necessarily words or people — two of the most important components in social channels. Nevertheless, an Analyzer can bring critical improvements and a new level of understanding to the team.
The One. The ideal candidate for your social media management position is a combination of the Feeler and the Doer. This person is a rarity. At first, the One may appear as a mediocre candidate — nothing particularly special. The only way to tell if you’re truly sitting in front of the One is by giving them a test. Assign them some specific writing tasks. Ask them pointed questions like, “How would you take our content marketing, social media and online branding to the next level?” Then give them a day or two to get back to you. If they are the One, they will give you powerful, insightful recommendations — many that you may have never have thought of. If you feel they can execute on those recommendations, hire them right away.
Three Helpful Tips for Your New Social Media Marketing Manager Role
1. Create the Team. Hiring the right candidates and then carefully putting this group of people together so they can collaboratively and effectively do their thing as a team. If you’re not able to hire more than one person, then you’ll want to hire at least one person who can complement you and your strengths. In order to do this, you’ll need to understand yourself first. Don’t hire someone just like you. What you want is to join forces with someone who can bring an entirely different set of skills to the table, hence augmenting your own skill set.
2. Free Isn’t Free. Sure, it’s free to join Facebook and Twitter but it’s certainly not cheap to achieve success with them. Achieving success through effective marketing measures on these platforms requires paid advertisement. For example, you’re never going to make it into the newsfeed on Facebook without paid advertisements. Forget about it. To plan ahead, you’ll want to provide your team with an advertising budget before advertising any content. And it’s important to remember that each social media outlet has its own unique advertising system; Facebook ads are entirely different than Google Ads. You’ll need to completely change your mindset on how conversions are made within various social media channels.
3. Give it Time. Give your newborn digital marketing team at least one full year before judging their success. The last thing you want to do is cut them short when a big win could be just around the corner. These things take time to build, grow, and achieve. Give your team the time and freedom to grow.